Covid-19 lockdown: Chennaiites returning after pilgrimage to Nepal get shelter in UP town

Mar 28, 2020, 10.07 PM IST

CHENNAI: As many as 36 pilgrims, including 23 women, from R K Nagar who were stranded in Nepal have been rescued and given shelter and basic amenities at Sonauli in Uttar Pradesh.

Vinoth, a priest at a Lord Murugan temple in R K Nagar, and his friend Barani planned the pilgrimage months ago. They along with 34 others left Chennai on March 11. However, after they crossed the Indo-Nepal border on March 20, their vehicle broke down.

Senthil, one of the pilgrims stranded in UP, said, "Army personnel helped us repair the vehicle but a landslide further delayed our travel. That is when we were told that a nationwide curfew has been ordered in India. We decided to return to India on March 24. We were stopped on the border since there was instruction not to let any vehicle cross the border."

He immediately got in touch with Rajesh, an AIADMK functionary in R K Nagar. The matter was taken up with Tamil Nadu deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam.

Panneerselvam’s son and Lok Sabha member, O P Ravindranath Kumar, contacted the external affairs ministry, following which the stranded pilgrims were allowed to cross the border on Friday. They were given shelter at Sonauli.

"Now, we were able to communicate with our relatives. We feel safe. Most of the pilgrims are above 50 years and have health issues. Though we are not sure when we will be able to return to Chennai since it is a nationwide lockdown and no vehicles could be operated, we have been assured by the local authorities that our essential needs would be taken care of until the curfew is relaxed," he added.